


All I Ever Wanted Was Everything

by through-the-stars-to-the-pavement (delicate_mageflower)



Series: Sun, Stars, Earth [9]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ADHD Sokka, Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Anxiety, Autistic Zuko, Betrothal Necklace (Avatar), Blood is not synonymous with family, Co-Parenting, Commitment, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hakoda Appreciation Life, Homecoming, I am too fucking soft, I just want them to be happy, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Attempted murder, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Iroh Appreciation Life, Izumi has five parents, M/M, Marriage, Multi, Other, Partially Deaf Zuko, Post-Hundred Year War - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reunion, Self-Doubt, Sokka has a heart as strong as a lion-turtle and twice as big, The fluff is strong with this one, This May Legit Be the Fluffiest Thing I Have Ever Written, This is mostly fluff though, Unconventional Relationship, Wedding Fluff, Zuko is a great dad, Zuko's Scar, i am soft, i am trash, partially blind Zuko, these ridiculous fucking nerds, they WILL live happily ever after because I DEMAND IT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicate_mageflower/pseuds/through-the-stars-to-the-pavement
Summary: Sokka needs this to be perfect.This was never going to be anything less than perfect.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Sun, Stars, Earth [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967482
Comments: 34
Kudos: 215





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In my head this takes place shortly after/as a direct result of the events of [this recent assassination attempt fic of mine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26110381), which is not at all a necessary thing but this is just how it makes sense in my brain and in all honesty, I am just surprised by how much I like that fic since it's mine and it's kind of strange to have ended up liking something I wrote so much, lol.
> 
> Title is sort of a reference to the Bauhaus song "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" which is seemingly just kind of weirdly about chasing wonder through monotony. And I don't know, I just liked it for this. It felt right somehow.

Sokka is not an artist.

He wants to be, and he puts in so much work to get better at it, and maybe even someday he can be, but as it stands right now, he just _isn’t._

This, however, is not the time to finally admit that.

Polyamorous marriage is not legal in any nation, neither does he ever expect it to be. Who knows how such a thing would effect Zuko’s approval ratings anyway (there’s a difference between “everyone knows” and _everyone knows,_ after all), but the normalization of same sex relationships is yet fairly recent and still an ongoing process, so Sokka wouldn’t dare to push the boundaries too far for the sake of his own personal life.

And with Zuko’s publicly co-parenting with Mai a factor and their not being married to each other enough to have raised several eyebrows, such an expression could become a full on scandal risking not only the career and safety of the current Fire Lord but also the next (and if anyone ever does anything to harm _her,_ Zuko won’t only be forced out of his position but will most assuredly end up spending the rest of his life in prison). So if Sokka _were_ ever to pledge _his_ life to his partners in a manner implying permanence, it would be only symbolic.

But what, truly, is marriage if not a symbol? Unless it’s for a political alliance, its legal standing doesn’t really make much difference in a married party’s day to day life. If a marriage is, in fact, purely for love, then the marriage itself really is little more than a symbol of dedication at the end of the day.

And the Fire Lord himself has made it very clear to his personal staff that Sokka and Suki be treated like family at all times and in all ways, particularly during the health crises which tend to follow the occasional attempts to kill Zuko, tearing some of his staff a new asshole after they’d been left in the dark about his prognosis before, so it’s all pretty well covered.

Therefore, as far as Sokka is concerned, he is basically already married. All that’s missing is the presence of _any_ symbolism at all.

And he has decided that, to him, the symbol matters. Maybe he’s more of a traditionalist than he’d previously realized but every time he visits with Katara and sees the necklace Aang made for her, he feels it in his chest that he _should_ be making one of those himself.

Or, more accurately, two of them.

Fuck reciting vows to some official or another or whatever, that doesn’t matter. But imagining seeing that pendant around Suki and Zuko’s necks, even if they can only be visible in private, means _everything._

The problem now, alas, lies in the element of managing to actually successfully carve the fucking things.

Given that this is _the_ manner of proposal of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and therefore so, so many of his people with _and_ without any artistic aptitude have made these, he assumed it would be easier.

He tries to tell himself he _could_ give himself a break as neither of the future recipients of his intended betrothal necklaces are Water Tribe and he is certain they will appreciate it for the symbolic gesture no matter what he gives them as an end result, but every time his fire elemental symbol somehow comes out looking like a tattered leaf or his attempt at an open fan inexplicably molds itself into a toddler’s representation of a single sparrowkeet wing, he can’t help his frustration or his immediate and involuntary smashing the small stone disc against a wall.

He is visiting home right now. Alone. He misses his partners dearly and his heart aches thinking about them sleeping together while he wakes up every morning in a painfully empty bed. He is, of course, glad they have each other while he’s away, but it is not the bitter chill of the icy South Pole which leaves this room so cold.

And this is not a personal trip. His father is the Chief, after all, and the Southern Water Tribe has built close ties to the Fire Nation, and that means seeing his family sometimes means business. This particular trek was for the purpose of seeking anyone willing to contribute to the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center in the up and coming Republic City. Talks are going far too slow, with so few immediately willing to relocate for the project, and Sokka is starting to wonder if he is _ever_ going to be able to return to the other place he has grown to consider home.

Hakoda and Bato are currently attempting negotiations for moving among those without conflicting family obligations within the Tribe, and they are attempting these negotiations without Sokka since he just needed a damn rest from the politics and the arguments for a while.

And this is where he ended up. And now he’s wondering if maybe he was better off fighting with his people about relocation reimbursement fees and salaries.

As for the moment, there is a small pile of stone pieces and dust in need of cleaning on the floor, the structural makeup of the igloo he sits in making for very rough patterns of breakage, but the force with which Sokka’s self-loathing is able to project each stone allowing for breakage at all.

Thankfully after the first handful he destroyed over the past few days of using what little free time he can squeeze in on this endeavor, he decided he should just keep a whole pile of blank pendants on hand so he would have plenty of room to mess up again. And oh, how he has.

“Fuck,” he seethes to himself. “How the fuck is this so fucking difficult, what do I _do,_ ugh…”

“You’re overthinking it, son.”

He jumps out of his seat when his father speaks, startled by his sudden appearance breaking Sokka’s concentration.

Sokka has had a rather strong and easily triggered startle response since the day of the comet, and he loves his dad and knows he means no harm and it doesn’t help they so rarely see each other, but he _seriously_ wishes Hakoda would ever remember this, especially considering he is still typically too self-conscious (and maybe a bit stubborn) about it to bring it up on his own.

“Sorry, Sokka,” Hakoda sighs, realizing his mistake. Maybe he tries not to think about it if he doesn’t have to, himself. Maybe he doesn’t like to remember everything his children had to go through when they were far too young.

“Okay but what do you mean, _overthinking?”_

It isn’t as though Hakoda ever made one, Sokka is thinking. This tradition didn’t come South until Sokka and Katara and Aang went North and as a side effect inspired the larger tribe to reconnect with his. Katara once had no idea of the significance of the necklace she’d inherited.

But it’s still the only set relevant Water Tribe tradition at all and it’s in the South _now,_ so Sokka has to do it.

And it’s clear to an onlooker Sokka’s difficulties have nothing to do with skill. Sure, carving in intricate detail like he’s aiming to do isn’t exactly simple, but his designs not working out definitely has more to do with his shaky hands and the visible stress in his furrowed brows and narrowed eyes than anything else.

“You’re trying too hard to implement tradition into an idea that’s completely untraditional.” Hakoda smiles and Sokka is more than a little embarrassed, both by the remains of his substantial number of rejects _and_ getting caught in the act he had been hoping to keep private.

“How long have you been watching?”

“Long enough to decipher the designs from the last round.”

“Dammit, Dad…”

Hakoda shakes his head and laughs. “Listen, son, I can see you’re trying to make this _special._ But did you consider it’s going to be special no matter what you do?”

“Did you give Mom anything? You know, to tell her you wanted to spend the rest of _your_ lives together?”

“No. We just had a small, quiet ceremony presided over by the Chief when the time was right. That was what worked for us, but that’s clearly not for you.”

“It’s not going to be a _real_ marriage, is all.” Sokka shrugs despite himself, because that aspect genuinely is fine but that’s why _this_ needs to be perfect. “I mean, it’s all real enough and I’m good with what it is. I have _them,_ I would never want anything else. And I don’t need a ceremony or a certificate or anything like that. But I need to do _something_ to show them…”

“What they already know?”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“Son, I’ve always admired your creativity.” Hakoda hovers his hand above Sokka for a moment, trying to make sure he feels it coming, and then pats him on the shoulder. “I know you’ll come up with something, and that it will be perfect when you do. But if all you can focus on is the perfection, you’re never going to be happy with anything you make.”

“I… Umm, yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Dad.”

And just like that, he knows exactly what he needs to do.

***

Blue ribbon. Traditional. Circular stone pendant, painted blue. Traditional.

Swirls painted in gold instead of etched in, contrasting the bright blue backdrop beautifully, surrounded by scattered dots like stars in both earth green and deep crimson. New, unique. Less simple, more succinct. Perfect.

The swirls are clearly inspired by the designs of the average Water Tribe betrothal necklace. But the gold is, like the stars, a reference to its recipients: the gold insignia and adornments of the Kyoshi uniforms and their weapons, the gold of the Fire Lord crown piece and the accent of most Fire Nation dress and décor.

They are not exactly identical, but they are as close as he’ll ever get them. They are precisely what they should be. Sokka wishes he was better with a brush, too, but it was much safer to get angry at himself for his perceived failings with paints in hand rather than with a carving knife.

He finished them with layers upon layers of lacquer, giving them a glaring shine but far more importantly ensuring not a drop of paint would smudge or see any damage from wear, regardless of how infrequent such wear may turn out to be.

And having left the final products out to dry is all he can think about during yet another fucking day long meeting. Thankfully Hakoda shines as a diplomat and has begun making real headway in terms of support for the project. Sokka is still ready to walk out, though, and simply tell Zuko he needs to make Aang handle this one. Or literally _anyone_ else. Sokka is here on behalf of the United Republic, not the Fire Nation. Sokka does know it’s probably only a matter of time before he’s given an official position there, too, but as for right now, his ambassadorial duties are to the Fire Nation and only the Fire Nation, so _this_ is technically a favor. That means they can find someone else to handle it.

He’s tired and while it’s been wonderful to spend time with his dad, he wants to go _home,_ to be with the ones he _loves._

And he has no idea what he’s going to do when he gets there—he wants the presentation of his gifts to be _special,_ but he has no clue what that means—but he misses them so much and he needs to get back.

A nice young woman is bringing up a small assortment of scrolls she’s collected which she says she would be happy to transcribe copies of for donation, and apparently her fiancée has shown interest in seeing the city so she’s willing to get into further detail about the transfer process. That’s a win.

“Someone will send a messenger hawk to establish further discussions on this matter as soon as I return ho—I return to the Fire Nation,” Sokka announces impatiently. “Which, I am afraid, must be soon. I will be taking my leave at dawn. I would like to thank you all for your cooperation and understanding about the importance of this work. We will continue correspondence via hawk, and—oh wait, I already said that. Umm, yeah. Anyway. Please save any further questions until then. Thank you.”

He is much better at public speaking than he used to be, but that doesn’t mean he’s any good.

In this new world without war, though, few will complain about an official occasionally tripping over his words. After a hundred years of constantly living on the edge of the end, a little leadership anxiety is the least of anyone’s concerns.

Hakoda finds him again after, clutching his necklaces in his hands. Sokka wanted rubies and emeralds, but he couldn’t find anything like that in any of the markets here and he simply could not wait until he could get his hands on such materials to finish his work. And he knows his dad is right, that they’ll love what he is giving them and all he’s doing is telling them what they already know anyway, but he was also right that Sokka would never be happy with what he could produce. It has to be good enough, but nothing ever could be for the recipients of these gifts. Nothing could ever match the perfection he sees in them, nothing could ever adequately show them how much he loves them.

Hakoda knocks first, regretfully remembering to consider his son’s post-traumatic stress. “You alright there, Sokka?”

“I’m just nervous, I guess. Anxious to get back. It’s fine.”

“I’ll miss you, son.”

“I’ll miss you, too, Dad. Maybe you can come up and see me next time. You should see Izumi, she’s grown _so much_ and…”

And, and, and. And _what,_ he doesn’t know.

Hakoda looks down on his son with warmth and pride in his eyes. Izumi isn’t biologically his granddaughter, but she is his granddaughter all the same. Sokka might not have any official claim to fatherhood but any time that little girl calls for her dad, Sokka’s head turns as quickly as Zuko’s (just like Suki and Ty Lee’s heads will turn as quickly as Mai’s when Izumi calls for her mom). And Hakoda is one of two men who know to answer when she asks for her grandfather, the other being Iroh.

It’s all most unconventional, but so is the set of matching betrothal necklaces Sokka holds for two people he can never legally marry or ever even be entirely open about loving.

But if it makes Sokka happy, and Hakoda knows it does, then it makes him happy, too.

“I’d love that,” he tells Sokka. “And you give her a big hug from me when you see her.”

“I will,” Sokka grins. He’s ready. Ready to go home, ready to do _this._ As ready as he’ll ever be.

He gets up and wraps his arms around his father, who holds onto him tight.

He wishes he didn’t have to leave the South Pole to see the Fire Nation again. He wishes he could keep everyone he cares about close together. He wishes he never had to miss anyone.

But the war is over and all is not lost. In fact, he has found so much more than he’d ever dreamed he could. He and his father _will_ see each other again. It can be so easy to forget, but that’s alright. Because it’s true, and he knows, even when his head tries to tell him it can’t be.

The war is over and they have entered, as Zuko put it, an era of love and peace. And right now, for Sokka, his personal primary source of these attributes are a balloon ride away, waiting for him.

And he is travelling home by balloon because he misses them too much to waste time on a boat. Air travel is tough for him, always takes him back to spiralling towards death with Toph and being sure he’d lost Suki, but in this case it’s worth it. He sailed in, but the balloon will be faster and there are balloons available everywhere since the war ended. So he takes one. He’ll deal with the emotional consequences. They will be worth it. He can’t wait.

***

Sokka’s heart swells when he walks into Zuko’s quarters, knowing where to look by following the sound of a young child laughing and singing an old Water Tribe folk song played with a Fire Nation instrumental twist.

Zuko sets down his instrument when the door opens, and Izumi comes running into Sokka’s arms, nearly knocking him to the ground when she jumps at him.

“Hey, sweetie,” he laughs. “I missed you, too.”

“You were gone _forever,”_ Izumi whines.

“I know,” Sokka replies as he carefully sinks to his knees. His bags from his trip are still hanging off of his arms, as he insisted on carrying them in himself, and he doesn’t want to drop _anything._ “It felt like that for me, too.”

Izumi doesn’t want him to let her go, but Sokka encourages her by noting, “I have a present for you.”

“From Grandpa ‘Koda?”

“Yep!”

Sokka reaches into one of his bags and gives Izumi her gift from Hakoda, a homemade plush otter-penguin.

“It’s so cute!” she squeals, and Sokka and Zuko’s faces both light up.

“Hey, Izumi, _did you know,_ we like to ride these bad boys back in the South Pole? And that’s what your Aunt Katara did with your Uncle Aang the first time we met him!”

“Sokka, please don’t give her ideas,” Zuko sighs, but his smile betrays him.

“What?” Sokka cocks his head at Zuko, mockingly attempting to feign innocence.

“Izumi, why don’t you go show off your new toy to Mommy Mai?” Zuko suggests. “I bet she’ll love it, too. And if you see Mama Suki, tell her to come see me, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy!”

Sokka swears Zuko’s face whenever his daughter— _their_ daughter—is around is the most gorgeous sight in the whole damn world. And he should know, he’s seen all of it several times over.

As soon as they’re alone, Sokka tackles Zuko to his back on the bed and kisses him. _Fuck,_ he’s missed this so much.

“You’re home sooner than I expected.”

“Took a balloon.”

“Oh fuck, are you okay?”

“I… I will be.”

He was pretty damn panicky the whole ride, spent all the time he was there clutching a fluffy fur blanket and petting it until he could close his eyes without seeing vast oceans of fire for a few minutes at a time, trying his hardest to breathe. His chest has been tight since he boarded and it hasn’t quite yet gone back to normal, but he doesn’t regret it.

He couldn’t wait.

Zuko holds him closer, understanding. He can feel Sokka’s heart beating, Sokka doesn’t have to explain. He’ll just have to keep holding him.

“Okay so, I gotta ask, when did you learn to play the tsungi horn?” Sokka teases, and Zuko takes one hand back long enough to playfully smack his arm.

“I didn’t,” he answers with a shrug. “I’ve just always been able to play. Uncle says I’m a ‘natural.’ And Uncle keeps trying to teach her music and I’m sure as fuck not singing so I have to do _something…”_

“It’s cute,” Sokka tells him. “You’re a great dad.”

Zuko needs that reassurance from time to time. Or more like all the time. The evidence is pretty clear—Izumi is a genuinely happy kid and that’s beautiful—but Zuko isn’t sure if trying to raise a child after everything he went through will ever stop scaring the shit out of him. He is reminded every single day that he’s not Ozai and will never be Ozai, but Zuko remains ever vigilant about his behavior as a father and his vow to himself to never turn into that monster.

“Oh hey, so I know this one song about a secret tunnel…”

“Sokka, no.”

“Heh, so you know it?”

“I’ve caught Aang singing it to Bumi and Kya more than once. I’m sure the next one coming means he’ll be doing it even more. Katara looks like she’s gonna kill him every time. It just, uh, it gets a bit loud. For me. You know.”

“Okay, fine. No ancient cursed secret love cave nomad songs. Got it. This time, anyway.”

“Asshole. You’re lucky I love you.”

“Don’t I know it.”

They laugh, and Zuko just sighs.

“I am so glad you’re home,” Zuko whispers into Sokka’s ear, pulling him down closer into him. Sokka eases into his touch, relaxing his body laying on top of Zuko, flush together, and Sokka is absolutely _exhausted_ from travel but he can’t rest until Suki joins them so he can give them _their_ gifts together.

And something about the way Zuko says “home” tugs at Sokka’s chest, makes his eyes burn.

 _Home._ He’s home. Zuko and Suki and Izumi, they _are_ his home.

He kisses Zuko again, and then somehow they’ve switched positions and now Zuko is on top of Sokka, but he just kisses him again, that’s all that matters, and he kisses him again, and again, and again, and again, and…

Loud footsteps pass by their room, a child wordlessly shouting followed by Mai. “Izumi, _no!_ We don’t even _have_ otter-penguins here. Izumi! Izumi, come back…”

Seconds behind that is uproarious laughter, a delightfully infectious sound which causes both Sokka and Zuko to grin wide. Suki.

She is still laughing when she enters the room, and she has to stop to lean into the door to catch her breath after closing it. “Sokka, Mai is going to _kill you.”_

Sokka rolls his eyes and puts on his best air of sarcasm. “I missed you, too, Suki.”

Then right on cue, from down the hall they hear Mai exclaim, “I am going to _kill_ Sokka!”

And more laughter between them—sweet spirits, that gorgeous laughter.

“Oh come here, dumbass,” Suki says as she actually instead walks over to her boyfriends. Sokka reaches up in anticipation of what Suki is about to do, silently warns with his left arm so Zuko will catch it with his right eye. Suki sees what Sokka’s doing, and she sees Zuko look in her direction as a result, and as expected she jumps on top of them.

She leans over Zuko’s right side and pushes his head out of the way, maneuvers herself to kiss Sokka. Zuko laughs and pretends he’s trying to push Suki out of the way right back, and Suki giggles and kisses Zuko, too.

“Hey, hey, you two had enough time without me, thank you very much,” Sokka huffs in his best impression of indignance.

It’s always hard being away for so long, but he’ll be damned if he isn’t a sucker for a good reunion.

He doesn’t even care about how much longer he’ll be able to tolerate the weight of the two whole adults stacked on top of him. Watching them “fight” for his affection while simultaneously offering their affections to each other, the two most beautiful people in all the nations who he loves so, _so fucking much_ and who somehow love him with their entire hearts in return…

They can suffocate him like this, that’s fine. He’ll die happy.

But not before he ties those ribbons around their necks.

He seeks out lips, his head oscillating between his partners’, kissing back and forth, alternating without care for pattern or consistency, just taking in as much as he can of the loves of his life. He longs for closeness, for sweetness, gentle but passionate gestures as they physically tangle themselves together so thoroughly.

They take his breath away, every time. It’s not the pressure on his chest which leaves his head spinning, no. It’s the smiles and giggles that make his heart burst with joy, the soft lips he can never get enough of feeling against his, and right now it’s the stretching of bare throats he is desperate to adorn.

He wraps his arms around them both, so content to keep them here despite the pain of bearing them down over him like that.

“Fuck, I missed you two. I love you so much. I love you both so much, I don’t ever want to be away from you ever again…”

His voice is strained like he’s being strangled. He doesn’t care.

“Babe, I’ve gotta move,” Suki says. “We’re gonna crush you.”

“Nah, no, it’s good. Stay right where you are, I don’t ever want to let you go.” He is so fucking lovesick, it’s pathetic. And that’s okay.

Suki wriggles herself out anyway, and Sokka doesn’t even bother to be embarrassed by the way he whines when Zuko rolls off of him, too.

Sokka sits up to look at them both, and he just _stares._ They aren’t even doing anything except lying down, but he can’t look away.

“Sokka?” Zuko’s sitting up now, too, his hand on his. “Sokka, what…”

Ah, he’s crying. That’s why they’re suddenly looking at him like that. Makes sense.

But really, _of course_ he’s crying, how could he _no_ t be crying, when he gets to come _home_ to _this,_ and now he’s going to _tell them…_

“Fuck,” he sighs, and the amount of downright _reverence_ he manages to slip into the curse is absolutely heartwrenching.

“Oh, love, we missed you, too,” Suki smiles up at him. “We really did.”

“No, you don’t _understand.”_ Sokka’s heart is not big enough to contain everything inside it. His love for them slithers through his veins, reaching the tips of his fingers and toes, radiating further outward from him when his whole body also becomes too small to hold it.

If lovebending was a thing, he’d be doing it right now, and it would be completely out of his control, just like when Katara accidentally busted open that fateful iceberg.

“Understand what?” Zuko is petting his face with the back of his hand, lightly tracing his cheekbone, cheek, jawline, up and down and back and forth, with his knuckles. His skin ghosts against Sokka’s, motions so soft and soothing and careful.

“This is so fucking dumb,” Sokka laughs at himself, his voice choked and wet. He’s still crying. He can’t hold it. It’s too big.

“It’s so stupid, and I know it doesn’t _mean anything,”_ he continues. “I know, but it means something to me because you two mean _everything_ to me, and…”

And, and, and.

And now, the moment he’s been waiting for.

He can’t keep worrying about the presentation being perfect. He just needs to do it and he needs to do it _now._

“I brought you gifts,” he breathes deep. “I, umm, I hope you like them. Like I said, I know it doesn’t, like, _matter_ matter, but I—”

“Sokka!” Suki cuts him off, offering him a warm smile meant to calm his nerves. Zuko is still touching his face, casually wiping away tears as he goes.

Sokka pries himself away from his partners, separates himself for just long enough to grab the two tiny silk pouches from his bags which house the greatest solid symbols of his soul.

He tosses them onto the bed—it doesn’t actually matter which goes where—and sits back down, wringing his hands.

They each pick one up, loosen the strings.

He can hardly bring himself to watch. He physically cannot look away.

Zuko realizes what he’s looking at before it leaves the pouch, and in an instant Sokka is no longer the only one crying. Suki removes hers and holds it up, examining it closely, and as tears begin to fall from her eyes, she is _glowing._

Suki moves to put hers on, and Sokka holds out a hand to stop her.

“No, no, please. Let me. I want to…”

Suki holds up her hair and turns so Sokka can tie it on tight, and Zuko is now just looking at his in his palm like it’s the most precious, priceless artifact, his other hand over his mouth, and he is in _awe._

“Zuko?”

Sokka does not assume. It’s one thing for Suki to wear hers, for that end of the rumors to be confirmed. No one will really care if the Earth Kingdom bodyguard and the Southern Water Tribe ambassador are _officially_ an item. Zuko is the only wild card between them. Zuko is the one who is most at risk if this goes fully public.

Zuko’s eyes close, and his left eye is catching up to his right eye in tear production. Neither Sokka nor Suki can read what’s going through his mind, and he is usually an open book to them.

“Zuko,” Sokka whispers. “If you don’t want to—or if you, you know, if you _can’t_ wear it, that’s okay. Okay? Like I said, I know it doesn’t mean anything, that this isn’t leading where it ‘normally’ leads and I don’t ever want to pressure you or put you in danger, you know that, right? Either way, I’m not ever expecting to see you with it outside this room. But I wanted to…I _needed_ to, umm, to show you…”

Zuko puts the necklace in Sokka’s hand, and he speaks so softly it’s difficult to be certain he actually spoke at all or if Sokka just _wanted_ to hear it.

“Please.”

“Zuko?”

_“Please.”_

Zuko holds his hair up the same way Suki did— _wow,_ it has gotten _so long_ —and Sokka accepts this quiet request and ties it up with the same level of care as before.

“The knot’s a little looser,” Sokka tells him, his ongoing anxiety sticking right in his throat. “So it’s easier to take off. You know, when you…when you have to.”

“No,” Zuko says, firm despite the shaking of lingering emotion. All three of them are crying still, but Zuko speaks with conviction. “Tighten it.”

“Zuko, are you—”

Again, he begs so delicately, so quietly, so desperately. “Please, Sokka. _Please.”_

And Sokka doesn’t know if this is a good idea—in fact he’s sure it’s a terrible one—but he can’t say no to this, he can’t deny that beautiful plea, he can’t ever say no to him, to either of them, but especially now, in this, he…

“Sokka, I am _never_ taking this off.”

“Zuko…”

“Fuck it.” Zuko puts both of his hands in Sokka’s. Suki, meanwhile, puts her head on Zuko’s shoulder and hugs his arm.

“Seriously, Sokka… Fuck it. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. _This_ matters. This is _all_ that matters. People can talk. We all know they’re already talking. They’ve been talking for years. I don’t care. I never cared. My advisors care. But they can go fuck themselves. I already had a kid with someone whose parents conspired to kill me, I don’t know what more they want from me. And I love Izumi and I love Mai but…I don’t see why my personal life should matter to them anymore now that’s done. I never said anything about it after Izumi was born because I guess I assumed you—both of you—were just happy to leave it where it was. I was scared you didn’t want it known. I know everyone knows, but…you know. Maybe you didn’t want to put yourselves at any more risk by confirming it. I knew I couldn’t be worth that trouble. But now, _this…_ I don’t know what to say to this. Except that I fucking mean it, Sokka, this isn’t coming off. Ever.”

“I want to spend the rest of my life with the both of you.” Sokka is smiling and shaking and weeping and so fucking happy. “So I had to…I had to do this. I wanted to give you something you can see, something you can touch. So you’d _know._ So you, uh, never have to wonder where I stand. I’m yours. Forever, if you want me.”

“Yes,” they respond in one voice. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…”

The word gets lost after so many repetitions, Suki and Zuko’s voices stumbling over each other’s, sporadic kisses peppered between vocalizations across various bits of nearby skin, limbs and appendages and necks and lips, passed from partner to partner to partner.

“It feels kind of weird you don’t have one,” Suki notes as she traces a fingertip along Sokka’s collarbone.

“Yeah, well, that’s just how it works. I want to show you I’m gonna be with you forever, so I give you a necklace. It’s not reciprocal.”

“Still,” Suki shrugs. “Making two for one person isn’t ‘how it works,’ either, is it? I don’t know, I just feel like you should match. Maybe it’s just because I’m not Water Tribe, but…”

“Well, we’re also not _in_ the Water Tribe,” Zuko laughs softly. “So maybe Sokka does need one. Might look weird to everyone else around, too. Like we have something he doesn’t.”

“So you really want this to be, like, _obvious?”_

“Yes, Sokka. Of course. I do. Suki?”

“Yes. Me, too. How could I not.”

“What the fuck.” Even in his happiest daydreams, he’d never pictured it going _this_ well.

“Sokka,” Suki just smiles. She cups his cheek and smiles. “You are so fucking oblivious sometimes.”

Zuko snickers, and Sokka can’t do anything but shake his head.

“But Sokka…” Zuko looks down, and his fingers twitch. “I understand this _will_ put you in danger, if I wear this in public. Maybe not as much Suki, but Suki, you should also consider… I understand if that’s why you were reluctant, Sokka…”

Sokka stops Zuko by kissing him _hard_ —he still can’t get enough, can’t make up for all the lost time that’s come from these past weeks of _not_ kissing him, and Zuko’s eyes light up. Suki just lets them go for a bit, because Sokka’s right that she’s had plenty of time to kiss Zuko in his absence, and she’ll just tease Sokka later about needing to make it up to her, too.

“You’re the fucking Fire Lord, babe.” Sokka pulls back, almost panting. “You’re the one I’m worried about here. I made my choice a long time ago, and I intended to make it clear I’m committed to it by making these necklaces. Okay? I love you, and I’m all in. If loving you openly has consequences, I’ll pay them. You’re worth it.”

“We don’t need to have, like, a royal announcement or anything,” Suki offers. “Unless you _want to,_ Zuko, but I don’t think Sokka or I have ever expected that. But it would be nice to just be able to kiss or hold hands or…you know. Without having to worry. Not that I’ve ever been upset we _can’t_ do that. I knew, and I made my choice, too. But if that’s all going to change now, I’m just as in it as Sokka. And yeah, I know, I’m probably not as high risk here, but I do accept any risk there might be. I’m still just a lowly Kyoshi Islander in a ‘weird’ and ‘wrong’ relationship with _two_ men. That’s still gonna piss people off, I’m sure, but that just means we’re all in this together.”

In all fairness, they’ve never exactly _hidden,_ but they’ve done their best to be mindful of whether or not they have an audience, and they have certainly held back from each other on more than a few occasions because they did.

They all know they’ve done a piss poor job, and that their lack of subtlety about who all raises Izumi has made that even worse, but this still feels like something is shifting.

And in times of emergency, such as when their lives are in danger, they’ve never been able to suppress their feelings for each other well enough to keep from making a public spectacle of their love. There are many rumors about them for good reason, they have given everyone much to talk about in their interactions with each other, but there is still something so freeing about the idea of no longer giving a fuck about confirming everyone’s suspicions.

Because for as shit a job as they’ve all done of keeping their secrets behind closed doors over the years, feeling like they don’t even have to pretend to try anymore is exhilarating.

Sokka sticks his tongue out at Suki, as though he is allergic to making it through one single conversation without going off topic to crack a joke about something. “If they ever find out you like girls, too, then…”

“They probably won’t,” Suki just smirks. “I think I’ll be a bit preoccupied with my boys here for the foreseeable _ever.”_

“We should have a party,” Zuko suggests, his tear stream refreshing. “Like a wedding, you know? After all this time, we might as well be married, and just because the sages would never preside over it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate that. We just get to skip to the reception.”

“That’s the fun part anyway!” Sokka is delighted, that’s the only word for it. Utterly fucking _delighted._

It’s even more touching knowing Zuko’s hatred of events, crowds, too many people talking at once, and too many people paying attention to him. Zuko, of his own accord, _wanting_ to endure a party for this renders Sokka starry eyed.

Zuko runs his thumb across the bone choker Sokka never takes off.

“Yeah, I don’t like this on him anymore,” Suki says. “I think we need to get him something new.”

“I never imagined you’d…” Sokka isn’t quite certain what he did or didn’t imagine, but how vehemently they now want his collar to look like theirs, how important it is to them that he has a matching symbol to show all who can see that he is theirs as much as they are his…

“I never thought I could be worth all this,” Zuko slips out, accidentally says out loud the sort of thought he usually keeps inside.

“Well, you _are,”_ Suki doesn’t miss a beat. “Both of you. And we _do,_ Sokka. Whatever you were thinking, I know we _do._ Fuck, I love you two…”

She leans into Sokka and pulls his attention. She reaches for Zuko’s hand as her lips part Sokka’s, taking him in, losing herself to every second she gets to spend with him now.

“Please never make me leave again,” Sokka sighs when he and Suki come up for air. “Fuck, I can’t stand…”

They all know no one can make him that promise, and he cannot make that promise to anyone else. But it’s nice to dream, and it helps that he doesn’t have any plans to leave again in the near future.

But in the meantime, they are going to have a party. They are going to blatantly celebrate their love, and they are going to flaunt it around their necks for all to see.

And now they have planning to do.

They have much planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing fluff is hard. I really hope this is decent.
> 
> And oops, I realize I think I might have slightly fucked up re: timelines and all the kids' ages but…umm, wibbly wobbly jeremy bearimy. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I 100% owe nearly everything about the end of this to geneticdriftwood, thank you so much for the idea!
> 
> Also warning this ends up with more talk than I meant to get into about Zuko's scar and such, and some other Sad Childhood mentions, so there's a bit more angst than I intended to let slip in here, but I am still astounded at myself for putting out something this damn fluffy, so. Yeah.

It takes a while to put their wedding together.

(At first Sokka kept on referring to it as their “wedding,” with air quotes and all, but he has since been banned from raising his hands at all whenever he speaks the word.)

Less than a week after Sokka presented Suki and Zuko with their betrothal necklaces, they had one for him. It was the exact same design, the exact same colors. They worked on it together, and it matched theirs perfectly.

He cried as much when he got his as when he presented theirs.

Suki had been the one to tie it, an easy decision given how hard Zuko’s hands were shaking. So Zuko was the one to lift Sokka’s wolf tail, even though it’s barely long enough to reach his neck when it’s up but it _has_ grown decently over the years, and it was so sweet how they both took such care into reciprocating Sokka’s initial gesture.

Two days after that, Tenzin was born. Sokka had, in fact, only just missed Katara and Aang’s return to the South Pole when he left. But the new baby meant it was going to be some time before either of them were travelling _anywhere_ for _anything._

Which was fine, though, since they really are going all out for this. Having plenty of extra time to put it all together has served them well.

And in the meantime, they have in fact completely made the transition from “everyone knows” to _everyone knows._ Much to Sokka’s continued bewilderment, Zuko was not at all kidding when he said he didn’t give a fuck anymore.

Suki half expected he actually would make an official announcement after all. That never happened, but he has become aggressively affectionate with them in public ever since, and he has been upfront to anyone who asks what the elaborate decorations across the palace grounds for the obvious but mostly unadvertised major event being set up over time is honoring.

“It’s for the royal wedding,” he says. And when they act surprised, he simply bids them good day. He doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, but he has no desire to cover it up or make it more subtle.

He does not fuck around on referring to it as a wedding, either. He is taking this completely seriously, and has no qualms ignoring its legal status entirely. Which has made Sokka feel much bolder about it, as well.

Zuko is treating this like this is _real._

“It _is_ real,” he says firmly and without hesitation every time this is mentioned.

Neither Sokka nor Suki have ever seen him this assertive when it isn’t forced for political appearances. It truly is a wonder.

And unless he is in his complete Fire Lord regalia, which he virtually never is when he doesn’t need to be, Zuko is exclusively wearing low collars so his necklace is on full display.

Sokka calls it brave. Suki (however jokingly) calls it making her job harder. Zuko just calls it love.

And after everything he’s been through, it’s incredible to see him embrace it like this. Anyone who doesn’t know him might almost think he’s beginning to believe he deserves it.

It’s a little over half a year later everyone arrives.

Katara, Aang, and their children are joined by Hakoda and Bato. All seven of them arrive on Appa together, the first to come, and Aang is _thrilled_ to announce Tenzin has already shown himself to be an airbender.

No one can really blame Bumi for the way he just sort of stares at his shoes every time he hears his father say it (Sokka notices this more than anyone), but their friends all understand how important this is and are quick to congratulate him for securing the legacy of his people.

Even Sokka has to acknowledge what a relief it must be for Aang to know he is finally no longer the last airbender, but he’ll be damned if his heart doesn’t break for Bumi all the same.

It gets even more exciting when Toph lands, angry as she ever is after travelling by anything but her own two feet, but instantly catching everyone’s attention with her substantial baby bump.

“So, who’s the lucky guy?” Sokka teases, and she elbows him in the gut.

“Don’t fucking ask,” she shrugs. “He won’t be in the picture, so it doesn’t really matter.”

She actually _does_ seem like she is legitimately okay with this, though, so the subject is dropped.

The crowds keep pouring in after. Haru and both his parents, Teo and his father, Pipsqueak, The Duke, Than and Ying and Hope, what appears to be the majority of the entire population of Kyoshi Island, the swampbenders, The Boulder, Hippo, several Earth Kingdom officials, several Earth Kingdom commoners Iroh says are some of his best customers including Jin, Kanna and Pakku, Piandao, Jeong Jeong…

And then comes Chit Sang. Sokka, Suki, and Zuko are all quite confused by his presence, and even more so by the fact someone is clearly expecting him.

Toph is waiting when he steps on the shore, and they high five the moment they meet.

“Do you have _any idea_ how much money I’ve made on this?” he laughs, and she is nearly doubled over.

“Fuck yeah, I _told you_ to place bets! And _you’re welcome,_ by the way!”

“Oh spirits,” Sokka mumbles as he watches them admit in front of the masses that Toph and a near complete stranger had predicted this all the way back at the Western Air Temple.

“Guess you fellas and your girlfriend _weren’t_ done cuddling, huh?” Chit Sang points at them, his very eyes screaming _I told you so._

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Zuko follows.

“Hey, it’s not anybody else’s fault you two had your heads in your asses for so long!” Toph calls to them.

Zuko and Sokka both look at Suki, who’s just grinning, having not missed Toph saying _two._

“I swear you three only have one brain cell and it’s Suki’s,” Toph smiles at them, and Suki can’t help but chuckle.

“What?” she says innocently at her partners’ continued glares, and they both simply sigh.

“Haru still owes me ten copper pieces,” Toph adds. “He knew you’d get together, but he thought it’d happen before the comet. Amateur. I knew you wouldn’t figure it out that fast. But I still went easy on him.”

“Thanks, Toph,” Sokka grumbles. “Good to know you’ve got my back.”

“Oh come on, you _know_ I do.” Toph walks over and literally slaps him on the back, forcing him to jump forward. “I would’ve told you two noodleheads eventually. But I knew you’d get there on your own someday.”

Sokka shakes his head. “Actually, uh, that _was_ Suki. And, you know, the one brain cell.”

“Eh, close enough.” Toph snickers and walks away, and Sokka and Zuko identically cover their faces with one hand each.

“Aww, you’re so cute,” Suki gets between them and wraps her arms around them. “Come on, my dear beautiful darling nerds, let’s go do some more of that cuddling, then. Chit Sang’s right, we’re _never_ done.”

***

Katara takes Zuko and Suki aside later, while Sokka is off with Bumi. Tenzin is promising to take most of Aang’s attention but at least Kya’s a waterbender, she’s not the odd one out like Bumi is, and like Sokka was with Team Avatar. So of course he would feel compelled to take Bumi under his wing. Katara just prays he waits a few more years before he tries to introduce her oldest child to the ways of the boomerang.

“So, don’t tell Sokka about this, but,” Katara laughs as she produces several sheets of paper, “I found some old notes he left at Dad’s. These have to be from when he was, like, sixteen or seventeen. I thought you two might enjoy them.”

It feels a bit like a breach of trust, but Zuko has never fully gotten over his fear of angering Katara, and Suki’s along for the ride.

But it is clear how old these are by the messiness of the handwriting and the quality of the surrounding doodles. Both have improved dramatically with age.

They sort through the pages and see they’re all haikus. They are all haikus about _them._

“‘She came back for us—She is ev’rything to me—Please don’t leave me, love.’” Suki reads off the first sheet. “Aww, this one’s about me. Oh, Sokka…”

“Zuko, I think _you’ll_ like this one,” Katara smiles as she hands him the next.

“‘Her eyes are oceans—His golden suns call me too—I am so confused.’” Zuko’s referenced golden eyes sting a little at the words, but the one Katara shows him after is even worse. 

“‘I don’t know his hurt—Know not his whole story but—I want to heal him.’”

Zuko closes his eyes at that. To know these are from so long ago, to think about how there was ever a time they didn’t know they shared their feelings…

“Katara, this feels wrong,” Zuko speaks up after a tensely emotional moment. “These aren’t for us to read if Sokka doesn’t want us to.”

“Aww, come on, one more,” Katara teases. She smirks that _annoying but loving little sister_ smirk Zuko has learned to recognize from years of witnessing her interactions with her brother.

Suki takes the paper from Katara, allowing herself to indulge. This _is_ Katara’s gift to them, after all.

The last one is more recent, again judging by the penmanship. This must have been written when Sokka was last home, the visit wherein he made the betrothal necklaces.

“‘With both my hands full—I can die a happy man—All is gratitude.’”

Tears fall readily from Zuko’s right eye at that, and Katara immediately moves to hug him.

She has been nothing but kind to him since he helped her track down the man who killed her mother, but it can sometimes still be so easy to forget how much she’s come to love him.

He has never in all this time grown to accept how or why she—or anyone—could see him as worthy of it.

Suki kisses Zuko’s right cheek and wraps an arm around him. Katara smiles at them both.

“I know we mess with each other, and it probably hasn’t always looked like it, but…” Katara’s getting serious now. “Sokka is the best big brother I could ever ask for. He was a huge pain in the ass sometimes when we were kids, but I know he was always only ever looking out for me. I have never met anyone as giving or as loving or as brilliant as Sokka, and he deserves the world. And seeing how happy you two make him, it’s…it’s all I could ever have wanted for him. I am so happy he has you both. You mean the world to him, and that means the world to me. I love you both so much, and I am so happy you and my brother are doing this.”

“That really means a lot coming from you, Katara,” Zuko says softly.

It makes her a bit sad to see Zuko sometimes still feels like he needs to walk on eggshells around her, even after all these years they’ve been true friends, but she figures it must be his trauma getting in the way and decided a long time ago that all she can do is keep on loving him until he learns to fully accept that she does and isn’t going to be turning on him.

Katara reaches out and looks him in the eyes. “Can I hug you, Zuko?”

He nods, and she pulls him close and holds him tight. It feels almost like Uncle Iroh’s embrace. It’s comforting.

“I really do love you, you know that,” she reminds him, and he exhales hashly from his nose and nods once.

“I love you, too,” he gives back much more easily than he accepts.

He never blamed her for not wanting him around at first. He understands he traumatized her, and that’s what makes it so hard to forgive himself or allow himself to accept the love she shows him now. He doesn’t want to insult her by showing doubt, but it’s difficult. She seems to know, though, and it seems to be yet another thing she has learned to understand.

“I’m so grateful we’re friends,” he whispers, and he didn’t mean to but…

“Me, too,” he is so relieved to hear Katara answer. “I’m grateful we’re _family,_ Zuko. I really am. And I hope someday you’ll believe me that you’re worth it.”

***

“Fire Lord Zuko,” a palace guard approaches the turtleduck pond where Zuko is taking a much needed break from the swarms of visitors with Sokka and Suki.

“Just Zuko, please.”

No one ever listens, but he still has to try. If he’s lucky it’ll get shortened to “Lord Zuko,” even though that’s not really any better but generally seems to be the most he can successfully ask for.

“Zuko,” the guard says very uncomfortably, and it is clear this is not going to stick. “A package has arrived for you. We did not see who brought it, so we had to treat it as a security risk. When we opened the package, it appeared to be some sort of large stone? With a note attached simply saying it is ‘a gift from the masters,’ and that you will know what to do.”

“Take us to it,” Zuko tells the guard, and he gestures for his partners to follow him. He has a thought of what this could be, in fact he has only _one_ thought, and he requests to have Aang, Katara, and Toph brought in, too.

When Zuko picks up the “stone,” he sees he was right and he does know exactly where it came from, and by extension he was right that Aang should be here for it.

“That looks just like the sunstone from…”

“Yeah,” Zuko nods. “And it feels just as alive.”

Aang’s eyes light up. “You don’t think it’s…”

“Only one way to find out.” The note said Zuko would know what to do, and he doesn’t understand how but he _does._ It calls to him, instructs him without needing to be able to speak, just as Ran and Shaw had when he and Aang faced them and the Sun Warriors.

He never would have guessed the ancient organization surviving for millennia in secret would send him a wedding present, but here they are.

“Everyone stand back,” Zuko tells the group around him, and once they heed his warning he encases the gift in fire.

And sure enough, it begins to crack.

“No way,” Sokka looks on in wonder.

The large egg is broken all the way through before Zuko lets his flames fall, and standing in the middle of the room is now, of all things, a baby dragon.

The impossibly tiny animal runs to Zuko immediately, bonded to him.

“This is _so fucking cool,”_ Sokka exclaims, and he claps after each of the last three words.

“Yeah,” Zuko agrees. “Yeah, it is. Well, uh, welcome to the family…Druk.”

***

Zuko’s heart sings when after a lengthy dinner meeting he joins the large group of his closest friends and family in one of the giant communal spaces around the palace. Most of the guests in town for the wedding are off in their rooms or wandering about with each other, but here is everyone most important.

Sokka and Suki, Katara, Aang, Toph, Mai, Ty Lee, Iroh, Ursa, Hakoda, Bato, and all of the kids. Bumi is sitting in Sokka’s lap while Katara nurses Tenzin, and Izumi is braiding Kya’s hair.

And Druk trails behind Zuko. Druk hasn’t left him alone since he hatched. It’s adorable.

Zuko sits with his partners, and Druk curls up into a ball in the center of the room.

“Daddy,” Izumi looks up, and both Zuko and Sokka turn to her, so she takes a hand off Kya’s head and points at Sokka to clarify. “Aunt Toph said you weren’t there when I was born because you’re a pansy and you’d just faint like a fragile, melodramatic lady again.”

Sokka facepalms, and Suki laughs.

“That is _not_ why, sweetheart,” he replies through his teeth. “And I think Aunt Toph and I need to have a talk about appropriate conversations to have around children that aren’t hers.”

“Hey, I was laughing at you to Katara,” Toph defends herself in the most Toph-like possible manner. “Got a lot of baby talk going on right now. Not my fault your kid overheard.”

“Wait, what did I miss?” Zuko asks, smiling a little.

Suki decides to handle this one. “That little family we ran into at Katara and Aang’s wedding who are here for ours, too? We travelled with them across the Serpent’s Pass to Ba Sing Se. They were refugees. Ying was very pregnant and went into labor before we made it to the city. Katara and I helped with the delivery—or more like Katara did all the work and I did what she told me—and then Katara asked Sokka to bring in water and he came into the tent right as the baby crowned and he, uh, just hit the ground.”

“I hate you all,” Sokka jokes. “Seriously, it’s been _how many years_ and we’re _still_ making fun of me for that?”

“Yep,” Toph answers instantly.

“You’re the worst.”

“You’re lying.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“But, uh, that actually kind of _is_ why you were the one left in charge of taking care of Zuko,” Suki admits. Sokka rolls his eyes and Suki is quick to add further explanation. “Well, _someone_ had to do it, right! You were just sort of the easy pick.”

“Why’d you have to be taken care of?” Izumi, so young and precocious, does not miss a beat. And Kya’s hair is all bunched up into messy braids now, so Izumi’s job there is done.

Zuko looks like a lost catdeer, but this is where Sokka is able to shine.

“Because he already loved you _so much_ without even having to meet you that he was worried about taking care of _you._ Not everyone has a happy childhood, sweetie, and he just needed some reassurance he’d be able to give _you_ one.”

Izumi gets up and runs into Zuko’s lap, and he kisses the top of her head and holds her close.

“Okay, yeah, maybe that actually should have been my job anyway,” Sokka concedes, and Zuko just nods at him.

“You do a good job,” Iroh smiles at him, and that is the highest compliment.

“Did _you_ have a happy childhood, Daddy?” Izumi asks Zuko, and the whole room becomes still and silent.

“Aaaaaand I think it’s time for bed, kiddo.” Mai stands up and picks Izumi up from Zuko’s arms. “Come on, honey, let’s go.”

“Umm, yes, I think we should be getting our kids ready for bed, too,” Katara joins. “Isn’t that right, Aang?”

“Oh, yeah. Yes, of course. Bumi, Kya, come along.”

Mai squeezes Zuko’s shoulder, and Ty Lee ruffles his hair as she goes to follow Mai.

“I know I’m gonna have to explain it to her someday,” Zuko sighs once all the children have exited. “It’s probably only a few more years at best before she asks about the scar. I just want to keep her from it as long as I can. She doesn’t need to know yet how cruel the world can be. She doesn’t need to know yet what my own ‘father’ did. She should be allowed to remain ignorant and innocent as long as she can.”

“You won’t be able to shield her from everything forever, son,” Hakoda informs Zuko’s sad eyes. Hakoda speaking to him like he’s his own always makes those eyes warmer, though. “Trust me, that’s one of the hardest lessons of parenthood. Nothing hurts more than knowing you can’t always keep your children safe. But _spirits,_ she is a truly joyful child. You’ve done nothing but right by her. Not everything is in your control, Zuko, but I _know_ you’ll always do the best with what _is.”_

Hakoda’s heart breaks a little as he speaks remembering Sokka hugging him and crying and begging him to take him off to battle with him, and remembering both Sokka and Katara running up into their house behind them even as he shouted at them to stay back, walking in to find his wife’s body and hearing his children scream for her. Bato sees him lost in thought and puts a hand on Hakoda’s shoulder to comfort him. This is supposed to be a time of happiness.

Iroh thinks of watching over Zuko through night after night when his burn wound—and his exile—was fresh, his body fighting infection, overwhelmed by fever and constantly crying out in pain. He tried so hard to be “strong” and pretend he was okay, that it didn’t hurt and he was just fine, but he was so sick and weak, and the pain he tried to act like he didn’t feel was debilitating. Every time he woke up, Iroh said a prayer of thanks for Zuko’s life. He knew he could lose him at any moment. He kept Zuko’s face clean and wrapped, despite how hard Zuko would involuntarily try to push him off during the disinfecting and debriding process until he physically couldn’t any longer.

Iroh isn’t sure he’s ever cried as much in his life as he did those first few weeks at sea, even after losing Lu Ten. But every time he had to see Zuko pass out from pain or fever or being barely able to hold down food or water, his skin burning hotter than the flames that did this to him but seemingly always on the verge of turning ice cold, Iroh would quietly sob until he saw his nephew’s untouched eye open back up. It was the slow anguish and the uncertainty. Lu Ten’s death was a staggering blow but it hit all at once. He never felt truly whole again after the loss of his son, but at least _that_ had the decency to be quick and decisive. Zuko’s recovery, on the other hand, was a dragged out dread, a plague of long and constant fear Zuko would not make it through the night every night.

And he remembers how angry Zuko was after the bandages finally came off and he still could not really see from his left eye or hear from his left ear. The ringing in his ears which started at the agni kai also never went away, and he became prone to migraines after, too. Iroh hated having to tell him none of it would ever be the same again, and this would be his new normal. He hated watching Zuko struggle to navigate the loss of his depth perception, hated having to reteach him the most basic of firebending.

He never blamed Zuko for the rage he could not contain over having to adjust to these changes, and for as much as it hurt he could never blame the traumatized teenager taking this rage out on him. He never blamed him using anger to mask his sadness, when compassion was presented as being worthy of horrific punishment, when crying before Ozai had been called shameful weakness and senseless violence was presented as the answer.

But he looks at his nephew now and sees what he had hoped for, for so long, but was never sure would come: Zuko is _happy._ He will always be haunted, Iroh keeps his expectations reasonable and realistic there. He knows Zuko’s scars run as deep emotionally as they do physically, knows there is a lingering despair eating under his skin he will never fully cure. But Iroh once went _years_ without seeing Zuko smile. So now…

And seeing him as a father is as beautiful as ever. Everyone but Zuko himself knew he would be an amazing dad, and seeing it in action never gets old.

Ursa is the one who touches Iroh, the one who sees him gazing at Zuko like he is reliving their whole lives together. Ursa had been appalled, had been _devastated_ when she learned of Zuko’s scar and the extent of his abuse. But she is so thankful he was never alone, that Iroh had effectively exiled himself to watch over him and take him on, to become the father to Zuko he’d always needed and deserved.

“I’m gonna go find twinkle toes and fancy pants,” Toph speaks up, easily reading the tone of the room and deciding her presence is no longer exactly appropriate. She knows she’s family, too, but she’s extended family and _this_ is for immediate family, which is everyone else here. “See if they need any help with their brats. Never too early to learn how I’m gonna have to deal with mine, right?”

Hakoda laughs and Toph messes with Zuko’s hair much the same way Ty Lee did as she departs in the same direction Katara and Aang went.

“Thank you, Hakoda,” Zuko says. He is still slightly uncomfortable referring to Hakoda by name, addressing him with such familiarity, but for all the times it’s been insisted upon and for as well as he, too, knows the feeling of not having such a request met, he does his best.

“And I am so honored to have been welcomed into your family,” Zuko tells Hakoda for roughly the billionth time.

“Iroh would say something about it being destiny that brought us all together,” Hakoda laughs. “Isn’t that right?”

“Destiny plays a part, yes,” Iroh replies. “But there comes a point where we must take an active role in shaping our destinies for ourselves. We cannot leave all of it to chance. Fate may have wanted you here, Zuko, but _you_ brought _yourself_ to it. You found your way, and I am so proud of you every day for all you have done.”

“Zuko, I’ve known Sokka his whole life,” Bato starts. “If you would have told me when he was younger that one day he’d be living in the Fire Nation and that nothing had ever made him happier, I’d have asked for some of whatever you were smoking.”

Bato laughs heartily, and Hakoda elbows him in the arm.

“But the day he came home to tell us he would be staying here, well… I know I can speak for the whole village when I say we were sad to see him go, but no one would ever have had the heart to ask him to stay. The way he talked about you, Zuko, we all knew how much that boy loves you. For a long time we still thought it was platonic, and we knew he has Suki and how much he loves her, but friendships can be just as powerful as any other relationship, and we were never going to deny Sokka his happiness with you. And then it just so happened we didn’t have all the details, heh. But it never mattered. Sokka’s happiness is what matters. And he’s happy here.”

Sokka blushes a little, but none of this has ever felt more real to him than it does right now. He finally understands Zuko’s insistence on treating this the same as any other wedding. Because while Sokka had been the one to bring up the symbolism, perhaps his own anxieties and insecurities had been what was starting to hold him back from treating this as seriously. But it is serious, and it is real, and everyone they love is here to celebrate that.

He cannot get over how lucky he is.

“I wish Mom was here,” he says sadly, despite all the love around him now and how glad he genuinely is with the direction life has taken him.

“I like to believe she is,” Hakoda replies, his voice soft and gentle. “Not in the way we’d like her to be, of course, but it’s nice to think she’s watching over us. And that she’s happy to see you three so happy together, too.”

***

The courtyards are a magnificent sight. Lanterns everywhere, illuminating the beautiful starry night sky, the moon in full view (showing her approval, Sokka is sure).

The fires all around are safe and warm. They envelop the area like a blanket, holding all the attendants and those being honored tight.

Sokka, Suki, and Zuko wear robes of gold and silver, all of them embroidered with accents of delicate patterns in blue, green, and red along all hems. Izumi’s robes are entirely gold with the same accents, but also an additional red sash for her other two Fire Nation parents.

As agreed, there is no wedding ceremony. There is only the gathering to celebrate their union becoming as official as it will ever be.

They have also agreed that from this point forward, they are no longer using the words “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” to describe each other. From this point forward, they are husbands and wife.

The guests are loud, drunk and happy, everyone laughing and dancing and cheering. Music plays, feet move to the beat. Zuko usually hates how loud parties can get, but he desperately hopes this one becomes loud enough for the sound to carry all the way to Ozai’s cell, so that he may get a first hand sense of all of the joy and splendor he will never know and does not deserve to experience for real.

Zuko, Suki, and Sokka circle around each other, spinning and lifting one another, light and loose and carefree. Aang having that cave dance party all those years ago really worked out for Sokka, having seen many of the dances he’s doing tonight performed long before and thereby making them easier for him to take to after they’d been sitting somewhere in the back of his mind forever.

All of their necklaces shine under the torchlight, glimmer under the moon, sparkle like their eyes and their smiles looking at each other.

Mai and Ty Lee gravitate towards the swirling triad, Izumi falling asleep in Ty Lee’s arms.

“I think this is the longest I’ve ever seen you smile, Zuko,” Mai teases. “Ty Lee and I were starting to worry you’re going to have an aneurysm.”

“Very funny, Mai,” Zuko laughs, but his laughter is sincere and his smile does not disappear.

“It’s really great to see you so happy!” Ty Lee is as bubbly and sweet as ever, bouncy and bright eyed. “I bet all the speeches are gonna say so, too!”

“Oh spirits.” Zuko flushes a bit, nervous again about being the subject of such attention.

“I wanna sleep in Daddy’s chambers tonight,” Izumi speaks up, and Ty Lee struggles not to giggle. Izumi’s eyes are following Druk, who is continuing to circle around _his_ parents, and she clearly just wants to play with him.

But Ty Lee’s difficulty keeping a straight face is correct.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight, baby,” Mai tells their daughter. “I think these three are going to be _very, very_ busy after their party.”

Sokka slaps a hand over his mouth, working as hard to hold back as Ty Lee.

“Yes, sweetie,” Suki steps in for the save. “We’ll have a lot to do later. Important people to meet with. Big fun parties like this sometimes mean a lot of, um, work comes later.”

Zuko almost loses it at “work,” but he manages not to show it.

“Okay,” Izumi answers. Poor kid can barely keep her eyes open. “What about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow sounds good,” Zuko says and kisses the top of her head. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

“Come on, Iz, Mama wants some of those little cakes,” Ty Lee offers distraction. “And I bet Daddy Zuko and Papa Sokka and Mama Suki are all going to want to dance with you later! So let’s let them dance with each other for now.”

“Yay!” Izumi squeals, suddenly significantly more awake.

Maybe she’ll pick up on more regularly differentiating her parents by name as she gets older, so they all keep doing it when talking about each other to her, just to make who she’s talking to less confusing. But it’s also _a lot_ of fun to see her brag to Bumi and Kya about how many parents she has, and how many extra hugs and presents that means she gets.

And just like this _is_ a real wedding, they are _all_ Izumi’s real parents. And it’s helpful now, remembering Izumi has no concept of who’s blood and who isn’t, just like with her aunts and uncles. Because it doesn’t matter. _Love_ matters.

There is so much love here.

Together, they have everything.

And it is _liberating_ being in the center of the dance floor, all eyes on them, and there being no need to be shy about showing physical affection, especially for Zuko. He kisses them both at every given opportunity, able to tune out the world around them for as long as his lips are on one of theirs, and his excitement is captivating. Neither Sokka nor Suki can resist that enthusiasm, that grin, that sparkle in his eyes.

None of the people who love him thought they would _ever_ see him like this. It’s a fucking gift, being able to witness it now.

He can’t keep his mouth off of them, and for once something is made _better_ by knowing the world is watching.

“Hey!” Aang runs over to them, hand in hand with Katara. “So I was thinking… I know you said you already tore into everyone responsible about keeping information from Sokka and Suki after the last assassination attempt, but what if that was straight up treason to do?”

Zuko stops dancing for a moment. “I mean, now it pretty much is, but…what are you asking, Aang?”

“What if this union _was_ legal?” Aang then points at Sokka and Suki to follow, “And what if you guys were the Fire Lord’s consorts? Is that a thing you’d want?”

“I honestly don’t see why it matters,” Zuko answers, but he is drowned out by both of his partners shouting, “Yes!”

“Like we said before,” Suki smiles. _“Obvious_ obvious.”

“Zuko?” Aang turns back to him, and no one would have guessed the smile he’s worn all evening _could_ get any bigger if they weren’t seeing it now.

“But, umm, how is this happening?” Sokka asks, and Katara laughs.

“I’m the Avatar!” Aang replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world (and in fairness, it really should have been). “And this is a union between all three remaining full nations! If _that_ doesn’t fall under the name of balance, I don’t know what does! And now that all the sages are loyal to the Avatar again, no one will argue! But also they kind of can’t, because I _am_ the Avatar.”

“Do it,” Zuko beams. “If that’s what they want, too, of course.”

It’s true that it has become _extraordinarily_ unlikely anyone would contest it anymore, but legal status does make it completely impossible to contradict Sokka and Suki without repercussion, as political figures _and_ as family, and neither of them have wanted to admit it but Sokka and Suki both have been a little jealous of Ty Lee marrying Mai meaning she has legal rights to Izumi neither of them would if anything were to happen to Zuko.

Both of them nod, and immediately Aang is yelling as loud as he can to get _everyone’s_ attention.

And again, Zuko silently hopes the sound will carry to Ozai’s cell.

“Attention! Everyone, look at me!” Aang airbends himself around the crowd, making it so no one _can’t_ look at him, so very Aang-like.

Some things never change.

And with the party having come to a standstill, Katara smirks at Sokka and gets between Suki and Zuko, putting her arms around them.

“Hey, everyone!” Aang is still shouting. “As all of you probably know, I’m Aang and I’m the Avatar! And as the Avatar, I would like to _officially_ acknowledge the marriage of Fire Lord Zuko and his consorts, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe and Suki of the Earth Kingdom. As the Avatar, it is my honor to pronounce you husbands and wife! As such, Sokka and Suki now also bear the honor of being official step-parents to Princess Izumi, future ruler of the Fire Nation. May this union between individuals of these three nations be a symbol of the continued peace our leaders and I have worked so hard to achieve across the world, and I wish them a long and happy life together! Flameo!”

Some things _really_ never change.

“Now Aang has the authority to beat up anyone who doesn’t recognize your relationship as much as you, Zuko,” Katara laughs. “He’s been planning this since we got here.”

“Of course he has,” Sokka smiles.

But _spirits,_ this is so nice. Sokka really was happy not being able to constantly flaunt his love for his partners—for his _spouses_ —all these years together, because it’s true he’d rather keep quiet about them than not have them, but now _everyone really does know_ and now _no one can dispute it_ and now _their love is literally going down in history,_ and Sokka is thinking how he’s the luckiest person in the world and now he gets to brag about it all the time.

And everyone is cheering for them and all three of them are smiling and dancing and hugging and kissing and they have never felt this happy, nothing has ever felt this good since or before Izumi was born, this is the other best day of all three of their lives, this is all they ever wanted.

This is all they ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I ship Bakoda or do I just adore them as close platonic friends and having a really tight, vaguely gender norm-defying brotherly connection? I genuinely haven't figured that out yet, so however you interpret their interactions in this is valid! ;)
> 
> And thank you again to geneticdriftwood for suggesting in a comment on "Mine, Ours, Always" (the fic referenced in the first beginning notes) that Aang could totally make their marriage legal, and the first part of this had already been written and posted at that point but I was still working on this half so I had to do it! <33


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